New Indian Express: Hyderabad: Sunday, August 12, 2018.
Taking a
serious view at alleged ill-treatment and physical assault and obtaining thumb
impression on blank papers by some government subordinate officers against
mother of an applicant who sought information under the Right to Information
Act, the Hyderabad High Court has recently directed the Hindupur Additional
district judge of Anantapur district to conduct inquiry into the issue and
submit a report within two weeks.
“The court is
of the view that the accusations are not enquired and wants to find out whether
the petitioner is exaggerating or the respondent officers have acted contrary
to law,” the court observed.
Justice SV
Bhatt was passing this order in a petition filed by Syed Barakatulla, a
resident of Chilamathur village in Anantapur district in AP, seeking directions
to the authorities concerned to furnish the information sought by him under the
RTI Act.
As for the
case, Syed Barakatulla had made a representation to the authorities seeking
employment under compassionate grounds following death of his father Imam Saab.
The revenue authorities, in their report, stated that the petitioner was not
the son of Imam Saab, but grandson of the latter. In January this year, the
petitioner filed an application to the office of Chilamathur mandal tahsildar
seeking details of the concerned file under the RTI.
When there
was no response, he first made an appeal before the Penukonda Revenue
divisional officer-cum-Appellate authority and then before the AP Information
Commission, and later moved the High Court for relief.
As the case
was pending before the High Court, the staff of Tahsildar office had allegedly
entered the house of the petitioner on July 25 when he and his wife went to
Karnataka for treatment, and assaulted his 61-year old mother Fakrun Bee and
took her thumb impression on some white papers.
Informing the same to the High Court, the
petitioner submitted that the motive behind this was to create documents
stating that the information sought was already submitted to him in the past.
The
petitioner’s counsel pointed out that there was no need for the staff to visit
the petitioner’s house in his absence instead of sending the information sought
under the RTI through registered post.
Disputing
with the petitioner’s allegations, the tahsildar concerned filed counter
affidavit stating that in good faith the staff visited the petitioner’s house
and handed over the information copy to his mother and she voluntarily given
her thumb impression.
After hearing
both sides, Justice Bhatt felt the need of ordering an inquiry into the issue.
The judge suggested the Anantapur principal district judge to entrust the job
of inquiry to the Hindupur additional district judge and that the latter
conduct the inquiry within two weeks and submit a report to the High Court. The
judge posted the matter to September 20 for further hearing.
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